New Study Says People Who Eat This Snack Gain Less Weight

Nuts are delicious, but kilojoule-dense. So eating them must lead to weight gain right? A new study in the European Journal of Nutrition is challenging this concern. The study found that study participants who consumed more nuts (more than one serving a week) gained less weight compared to those who didn’t.

The study looked at the nut intake and body weight changes of over 370,000 participants over a period of five years. Researchers also found that participants who consumed 6g of nuts a day had 5% lower risk of becoming overweight or obese compared to non-nut munchers.

Nuts do pack in up to 200 calories a serving – a serving is 30g or roughly a handful. However, this study suggests that when included in a standard diet, nuts won’t lead to weight gain. “This is the largest study ever conducted, showing that nuts are a non-fattening healthy food," said Dr. Joan Sabate, Professor of Nutrition at Loma Linda University and Senior Investigator of the research.

Essentially, the research confirms the idea that just because nuts contain fat doesn’t mean they will make you fat.